Chapter 7
Ten minutes had passed, and still no money. Kylie knew in her gut he wasn’t paying her back.
She shook her head, her fingers flying over her phone as she pulled up the bank statements, the transfers, the messages where Craig had promised to make it right. She would sue him and these were solid evidence.
Then she checked the messages from Julie and Samuel. They were on her case, big time. Samuel was especially pissed, threatening to cut off her credit card. Kylie smirked at the thought. That card had been gathering dust since the day he’d handed it to her.
Then there was Melanie’s message. It would have been like a slap in the face, all about how much her parents adored her. Kylie could almost hear the mocking tone in Melanie’s voice. But she wasn’t going to let it get to her. Not this time.
She was taking control, cutting ties with the people who only brought her down. And her adopted family would be her only family…
Kylie was just about to hit the hay when her phone buzzed with a message. It was from Ethan Thompson, her older brother. back in the adopted family and her go–to guy for everything.
[How’s the new place treating you, honey? he asked.
Her lashes fluttered as she hit reply. [I could really use a dose of home right now.]
Ethan called her right then, his voice all warm and brotherly. “Just come back. You’re always welcome here. Mom’s been talking about you nonstop.”
“I miss you guys too. I’ll be home tomorrow,” she said.
“I’ll make sure there’s a feast waiting for you,” he promised.
“How’s the big paper coming? You were knee–deep in research last I heard,” Kylie added.
There was a brief pause, and then Ethan’s laughter filled her ear. “Just the usual, buried in books and coffee.”
After they hung up, Kylie flipped through her phone’s photo album. Seeing her family’s smiling faces, she couldn’t help but
tear up.
It had been so long since she’d seen them, not since her life had taken that sharp turn. Her birth parents only let her talk when they were in a good mood..
The Lampard family had kept everyone at arm’s length, and everyone just assumed she was being taken care of. After all, if she hadn’t pushed Julie out of the way, things would have been different. Everyone figured her own mom, Julie, would look after her.
She wiped away her tears and turned off her phone. She needed to get some rest. Tomorrow, she’d be home, and she didn’t want to show up with puffy eyes.
Kylie’s alarm kicked off her day at the butt–crack of dawn. She was a sunrise kind of gal, and after a quick splash and brush, she was downstairs.
Yesterday, Trevor had said he wasn’t into the whole live–in staff thing. The cleaning crew from the Walters residence came by each day to keep the joint shiny, but he was more of an eat–out kind of guy. So, there Kylie was, poking around the kitchen, checking out the fridge.
And jackpot! It was loaded with fresh food. The cleaners must have been on the ball because everything looked ready to eat.
She spotted some ham and decided to whip up a comforting batch of eggs benedict.
Trevor, dressed to impress in his suit, came downstairs and was hit with a tantalizing aroma that immediately stirred his hunger.
Still adjusting to married life, Trevor did a double–take when he saw Kylie in the kitchen, her figure accentuated by the apron. she was wearing-
Kylie, with a plate in hand, also paused when she noticed Trevor. She offered, “Morning, Mr. Walters, care for some breakfast?
Chapter 7
I’ve made eggs benedict.”
The dish was a delightful assembly of poached eggs, ham, and hollandaise sauce on an English muffin. Kylie wasn’t into the heavy breakfast scene.
“Thanks, but I’m not really a breakfast person, Trevor replied, shaking his head.
As he was about to head out, he left a black card on the table. “Use this for any expenses or household needs,” he said,
Kylie glanced at the card and then at Trevor, and decided to keep it.
She was more than capable of paying her own way, but she knew better than to refuse his offer. For now, she’d hold onto it, planning to return it when their agreement wrapped up.
At the Walters Group, Trevor had just gotten comfortable in his chair when Zach, his right–hand man, handed him the daily cup of joe. Zach was briefing him on their tight schedule, including a quick hop to the next town
The coffee aroma was tempting, but it wasn’t the java that had Trevor’s mind spinning. It was the memory of the eggs benedict Kylie had whipped up that morning.
“Zach, could you pick up some eggs benedict from the joint across the street?” Trevor asked, out of the blue.
Zach blinked, thrown by the request. His boss wasn’t exactly the breakfast type. “Eggs benedict, sir?” he repeated, just to be
sure.
“You got it,” Trevor confirmed, sipping his coffee.
With a shrug, Zach headed out, his mind racing. Is Mr. Walters on a new health kick or something?”
When the food arrived, Trevor took a bite and immediately frowned. The taste was off the charts–way too strong. Not the eggs benedict he had in mind. He dropped his fork, signaling he was done.
Zach, who had returned to check on things, raised an eyebrow. “Too hot, Mr. Walters?”
“Nah, it’s not that,” Trevor replied, pushing the plate away. Just take it away.”
“What? Oh, sure,” Zach replied.
Zach grabbed the plate, a mix of confusion and curiosity on his face. Is it the elevator incident that has my head in a twist? I can’t read Mr. Walters’s mind now… Either way, that eggs benedict smells heavenly. Must try it out when we get back from the trip…..
Kylie’s day was a whirlwind, starting with a lawyer’s appointment and a police report. By noon, she was back at the Thompson residence–her family had moved to Jardora three years ago due to her brother Hoard Thompson’s high school enrolment.
Her phone was on fire with calls from Craig, but she hit the mute button, signaling him to back off.
Over at the Lampard Group, Craig was sweating bullets as the cops eyed him like a prime suspect. His coworkers were in a tizzy, whispering behind his back.
Kylie didn’t answer his phone and he tried to sound calm, explaining to the officers, “It’s all a mix–up. Kylie and I are together. I’m not trying to scam her. We had a tiff, and she’s just blowing off steam.”
But the cops weren’t having it. “We need you to come with us to clear things up,” they insisted.
Craig checked his watch, realizing he was running late for a date with Melanie, the girl who had been his unattainable dream in college.
Memories came flooding back of how their relationship had started. Ever since he found out about Kylie’s connection to Melanie, he’d dared to hope for a chance to get closer to her.
He’d been with Kylie for years, and the spark was long gone. But she was kind and good–hearted, and his mom loved her, so he’d never thought about ending things.
Chapter 7
But now it hit him: Kylie wasn’t just talking when she said she wanted to break up and get her money back.
He sent Kylie one last message, but she was ghosting him. It was dawning on him that she was serious about ending things.
Cornered, Craig had no choice but to go to the police station.
Meanwhile, at the Trendy Mall, Melanie was decked out in high–end fashion, her patience wearing thin as she waited for Craig
Just as she was about to text him, she noticed a group leaving the Walters Group building. Among them was Trevor, the CEO, a face she recognized from the financial news
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